2020: Do you think its going to be worth the wait?

[Aussiedroid]

I'm not so sure. What ever may be coming next year, I am concerned that the break in content will see a lot of players leave but not return. Even if its the best content update ever made, players move on, loose interest. I feel I am there myself right now, without any desire to play the current build, but also no desire to wait with 'baited breath' for Frontier to say something (ANYTHING) about what is coming. I remember seeing this video from PoE devs on the frequency of updates and the impact on player retention. Despite being a different genre I see the same risks for ED too, compounded further by the lack of communication to the player base.

Maybe I am the exception feeling this way? While I certainly will not say I will never return, I also see no reason to return. None at all. If the speculation of the next update being space legs is true too then I am even less excited about the future of ED. Game needs content not legs, but I digress... conversations seem stagnant on the forums as there is nothing really to discuss these days (outside of cheaters it seems), friends have all stopped playing etc.. nothing to really look forward to to get me back in the cockpit, and I really want to get back in. I've already taken a reasonable break from the game this year, so for me its definitely not burnout. Maybe its just the end of the road for me, being I have got a few thousand hours into the game I am far from bitter about any of this, but regardless still clamor for more as I don't want the ED experience to end.

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[Dutchman141]

First of all I'm not "waiting" for this late 2020 update, I stopped playing ED for other reasons and moved on to other games for the time being.
We don't have a clue about what's gonna be in the 2020 update, there are speculations but nothing is confirmed.
Will it be worth it?
Now that's the big question, when Fdev develops this new Era thing the way they developed other features like Thargoids, Guardians, Planetary activities, Multicrew, Npc crews, etc. then no it won't be worth it, maybe for a short while but the lack of depth won't keep players engaged long enough imho.

It's all up to how Fdev develops this thing, fleshed out, something people are waiting for, or, half baked and something no one ever asked for.

As I said earlier, I'm not gonna wait for it, I'll see it when I see it and then make up my mind if it's enough to pick up playing ED again.
Fdev could get me back to playing way before this update if they decide to finally do something about the multitude of older and younger bugs though.

 

[Kzak]

I do think it'll be worth the wait. I believe Frontier is making a decent amount of content to go with the update, for adding pure mechanics without much of anything to do with the mechanics doesn't make much sense (see X: Rebirth's implementation of Space Legs as an example).

Besides, I'm patient - and I've got literally hundreds of other games to play that will keep me busy for years to come even if Elite's 2020 update shouldn't live up to the expectations.

 

[m0rl0ck]

After the engineers and the FSS i really have no hope for ED and probably wont buy the additional content. No matter how spectacular the new features might be, im sure they will find some way to screw it up with either some kind of convoluted grind or some time wasting mini game.
So i have zero hopes for it, but really all they have to do to impress me is not screw it up with examples like i mentioned above. Personally, i dont think they are up to it, but after the engineers they wont be getting any more of my money for dlc anyway.

 

[DMC831]

I'm optimistic without too much put into it (as in, if it's bad, it's a bummer, but oh well). I've loved the game for years even with the flaws, and I'm hoping they've learned some lessons along the way and it's truly a mega-uber-update. There's other things that I feel are more "core" that I'd love to see addressed before the headline feature type stuff is worked on, but hopefully those are addressed along the way and the new main features are fun.

If it's TOO "minimally viable product"-y, then people will be upset. They can't release it with hopes to fix it down the road, or the playerbase will be pretty annoyed. I just want everyone to have a good time when it comes out, dangit, and it's certainly less fun if too many people are upset with the game. Since this is the only game I've ever made accounts to talk on forums about it and gotten involved with player-stuff, that sort of thing does matter to me, but just in the "I hope folks get what they want and have fun".

Even if it's not Space Legs or Atmos, I know I'm buying whatever it is. It feels like they're putting a lotta people on the job (in Frontier terms at least), and they know it's a biggie. The game ain't new anymore and they can't get away with an update similar to Horizons chapter 1, where people could rationalize that content is coming "soon".

I can still fly around and have fun in VR either way, and I've gotten more than my money's worth, but I totally understand the feeling of disappointment that lotsa people have had over the years. It's impossible to not come up with tweaks and fixes and wishes that you'd hope they could put into the game to help it out since the potential is just enormous. I'm sure they're trying their best, it ain't like I know a THING about developing a game and all the work that goes on behind the scenes, and I hope they knock it outta the park.

But bring back smuggling to prominence or I'll beat them up though!!

 

[Tarman]

No matter what it is, some people will love it, some will enjoy it to various degrees with qualifiers, and others will hate it.

There are people who hate it now and we don't even know what it is. Some people hate that they don't know what it is. Some people are not cool with WHEN it is.

This forum will be exactly the same levels of crazy regardless of the actual game content created so there's that consistency at least.

 

[[Diplomacy] Carnegie]

I'm just grateful to have at least another 6 months before FDev spoil anything else for me.

 

[CMDR Karrde Sun]

Im not sure honestly. Elite is a niche game as much as frontier don't want it to be.. but even so the rest of the gaming industry is advancing while elite has pretty much stayed the same so i really hope it won't feel dated when it launches.

The interiors of the orca eg and the 'made sense at the time' limited starfield is harder to be believable. Same with the surface of stars, and some hmc textures, and ping pong ball solid gas giants...

Will have to wait and see how the whole package holds up. It will sorely be due for a complete refresh by then. I've got well over 2k hours though so got my moneys worth.

The reason i haven't got my hopes up is the knowing what the 100 strong team are capable of producing, and also knowing frontier are working on so many other games. The current measure is they cant and won't do anything nearly that dramatic.

EDIT: Also just because forums, i can't shake a small speculation that so many things are due to consoles. Elite is barely okay for framerates at 1080p on the ps4 PRO!!! Not even trying 4k... There's too much evidence that frontier did a downgrade of the pc version (ed lewis straight up lied, theres evidence on youtube of the game looking better)... that the ps4 version is identical in all ways to the pc version... frontier are only willing to have one build and haven't worked out how to maintain support for the old consoles and go forward. I bet that's what happened with the failed ice planet upgrade.

 

[Wolf Starslayer]

No.

 

[Rustnsawdust]

Yes.

 

[Captain Willard]

As a matter of fact. I do. After a one year wait and a few tidbits thrown in on the way, there should be a good amount of content.
Will I like or dislike all or any of it? That's another question.
The best I can hope for is the devs to go where no one else is expecting.

 

[Slange Lands]

Yes, I am looking forward to the new expansion. I don't have any expectations that it be "this or that", but I will certainly purchase it. The game is still fun for me because I am into PvP. The amount of skill one can achieve is amazing and bettering one's flying skills really delights and amuses me. Some of the pilots I have fought are incredibly inspiring and have given me a taste of the capabilities of the flight model, which is utterly fantastic. If I were strictly PvE, however, I probably would have stopped playing and then resumed when the new expansion arrived.

o7

 

[znôrt]

it has huge potential, mainly because of the galaxy and the ships. if legs and building are a thing, and even if they are shallow/halfbaked/whatever, the mere fact of sharing all that background will give the game an incredible scope, that will be hard to get wrong.

we have already landable planets, just being able to actually use them as playground can be a huge leap. a simple feature like signs and beacons for, e.g. player managed races have been long demanded and would have been so good. i can only start to imagine what could come up if we had even some basic building blocks and a way to interact out of ships.

then again this assumes some sort of tight integration with elite dangerous, which by all means i hope there is, but that itself poses a technical challenge which isn't minor (obsolescence, code rot, flaws in architecture, etc.) and i have no idea how frontier will approach that. wait and see.

 

[DaggerSnake]

I’m pretty patient. There’s no need to have to know every little detail about what’s coming.

Yet I am pretty excited to see something. Elite is still my favorite game, though my time playing has decreased. I was kinda hoping for some kind of teaser with E3 and all going on.

In the meantime 2020 has some tough competition for my attention. Stormland, Lone Echo 2 ,Cyberpunk and Baulders Gate 3 have me sitting up and counting the days for sure.

I really hope Elite is getting a real overhaul or it will be left behind.

 

[Tarman]

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Maybe they're Elves. Don't ask them for advice.

 

[Wobblin-Gobblin]

I'm not sure at all. In the past, FD managed it to disappoint me pretty often. At least, they should be able to show us something of fleet carriers or the improved ice-planets.

But unfortunately, they aren't able or willing to show us the work in progress

So, I'll stay sceptical.

 

[ThargoidLove]

I'm not so sure. What ever may be coming next year, I am concerned that the break in content will see a lot of players leave but not return. Even if its the best content update ever made, players move on, loose interest. I feel I am there myself right now, without any desire to play the current build, but also no desire to wait with 'baited breath' for Frontier to say something (ANYTHING) about what is coming. I remember seeing this video from PoE devs on the frequency of updates and the impact on player retention. Despite being a different genre I see the same risks for ED too, compounded further by the lack of communication to the player base.

Maybe I am the exception feeling this way? While I certainly will not say I will never return, I also see no reason to return. None at all. If the speculation of the next update being space legs is true too then I am even less excited about the future of ED. Game needs content not legs, but I digress... conversations seem stagnant on the forums as there is nothing really to discuss these days (outside of cheaters it seems), friends have all stopped playing etc.. nothing to really look forward to to get me back in the cockpit, and I really want to get back in. I've already taken a reasonable break from the game this year, so for me its definitely not burnout. Maybe its just the end of the road for me, being I have got a few thousand hours into the game I am far from bitter about any of this, but regardless still clamor for more as I don't want the ED experience to end.

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Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[Captain Willard]

I'm not sure at all. In the past, FD managed it to disappoint me pretty often. At least, they should be able to show us something of fleet carriers or the improved ice-planets.

But unfortunately, they aren't able or willing to show us the work in progress

So, I'll stay sceptical.

I wouldn't say either if I was FD. No other game on the market like this one.
Why give them a heads up or listen to the whines from the community that want something different from FD's design.

 

[Tikanderoga]

I'm not so sure. What ever may be coming next year, I am concerned that the break in content will see a lot of players leave but not return. Even if its the best content update ever made, players move on, loose interest. I feel I am there myself right now, without any desire to play the current build, but also no desire to wait with 'baited breath' for Frontier to say something (ANYTHING) about what is coming. I remember seeing this video from PoE devs on the frequency of updates and the impact on player retention. Despite being a different genre I see the same risks for ED too, compounded further by the lack of communication to the player base.

Maybe I am the exception feeling this way? While I certainly will not say I will never return, I also see no reason to return. None at all. If the speculation of the next update being space legs is true too then I am even less excited about the future of ED. Game needs content not legs, but I digress... conversations seem stagnant on the forums as there is nothing really to discuss these days (outside of cheaters it seems), friends have all stopped playing etc.. nothing to really look forward to to get me back in the cockpit, and I really want to get back in. I've already taken a reasonable break from the game this year, so for me its definitely not burnout. Maybe its just the end of the road for me, being I have got a few thousand hours into the game I am far from bitter about any of this, but regardless still clamor for more as I don't want the ED experience to end.

I'm in the same boat.
I got 2000 hours in this, unlocked all engineers to level 5, got billions sitting in my account, what this game needs it content, something to engage players. BGS isn't content, sorry. Thargoids could have been so much more, but i guess that ship has sailed. 200 billion star systems, plenty of room to add actual content, something for the players to do... yet here we are, talking why we are leaving the game.
Last content update was December 2018, next one will be "late" 2020. That's 2 years of nothing, really. Looking at other MMOs, they release fresh content every few months. Elite however doesn't get anything really. Mission board has been gimped to avoid board hopping, the text walls on the mission board are not content, doesn't matter what's written there, and unless one puts on some Roleplay, this game has pretty much run its course.
An even sader part is, that this game pretty much requires a Netflix account to bridge the boring loops with entertainment. I'm talking long distance travel, endless (unnecessary long) SC times, hunting for HGE etc. In the beginning it's interesting and new, when you're doing that for 3 hours because you need the mats then it's just mind numbing and dull.

I really love the game, but I think the spark has fizzled for many of us and people are moving on. They want entertainment, which the game with its static nature just doesn't provide. People have been able to look past it, and focus on the non-static parts, but eventually that novelty has worn off, and all that's left is the static bits.

 

[Ziljan]

I think Frontier kinda messed up when they decided to focus on other silly titles instead of Elite. I'm sure this was a good financial decision for Frontier, but it was a potentially devastating delay for Elite. ED could have cornered the market and been the premier space Sim, but Frontier made several decisions to throttle marketing, development, and server resources at key moments, causing each launch day, a day that is make or break for WoM marketing, to be a laggy, crashy, slide show. Hence the game hasn't taken off like it could have with proper marketing and development. It often seems this may have been somewhat intentional especially when you consider that the P2P network design was never intended for Elite to support more than a niche mmo base. This problem is fixable though, would just take serious network investment.

Despite all of this, I'm still in the optimist camp. I've lost count of the AAA space games coming out and they are all slated for 2020, so if you want your space itch scratched before then, there aren't any serious competitors. Unless you're into tech demos. So until all the games are out, I think there's a strong chance that Frontier will pull it out of the fire in time to be competitive. Despite some arcade like features, ED is the ONLY game that comes close to representing what real space looks like. To me that is priceless and irreplaceable. You have to use a planetarium app to get anything more accurate, and even those don't come close for certain features. And despite what many people say, the galaxy is still vibrant with an overlapping patch work of highly active groups that keep the Galaxy very interesting, at least in Open.